Read Online Assignment - Mara Tirana by Edward S. Aarons - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Edward S. Aarons
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supported him as he stumbled out through the doorway into the clearing.
The sunlight was blinding. The cold, mountain air helped, and he sucked in a great, rasping lungful. The old couple stood staring at him, and Jamak started forward to help, but Lissa waved him back. Slowly, laboriously, Adam moved around the hut toward a stone barn in the rear.
The barn was not much larger than the hut, but he was happy to get out of the cutting wind as the girl guided him through the doorway. A cow stood in a stall and turned her head to stare at them with great, limpid eyes. There was a tiny hayloft, and a ladder going up, and Adam paused and looked at it and shook his head in dismay.
“I can’t make it.”
“You must,” the girl insisted. “Try.”
“My leg—”
“Medjan will shoot you on the spot, if you are found here. And perhaps all of us, as well. So get up there.”
Adam drew a deep breath and reached for the rungs of the crude ladder. By using the strength of his arms and shoulders, he hauled himself up step by step until he was able to roll over onto the edge of the wooden platform. He was drenched with sweat from the effort. The girl looked up at him anxiously.
“Cover yourself with straw, quickly. And make no sound!”
He nodded, unable to speak for the moment, and rolled away from the edge of the hayloft and lay, gasping, with the rafters of the barn roof only two feet overhead on the low platform.
They had been none too soon. Booted steps crunched on the gravel outside. He heard the girl turn swiftly to leave the bam, but it was too late. A man’s harsh voice rang out, echoing.
“Lissa? Are you there?”
The girl paused. Then Adam could see her as she moved out into the sunlight that spilled through the bam door. “I am here, Petar Medjan.”
“Ah, yes. I have just seen Jamak. He looks remarkably well, for a man who was as sick as you said.”
“The medicine works miracles,” Lissa said quietly.
“Miracles, indeed!” The man laughed thickly. “Well, I am happy to have been able to help, you see. You look well, Lissa.”
“I am well,” the girl said.
The man loomed suddenly in sight when Lissa moved again as if to leave the barn. He blocked the entrance like a heavy shadow, thick arms out-thrust to lean on the doorpost. His booted legs straddled the earth in a posture of absolute authority.
He was uniformed in the blue of the Internal Security Police, with polished boots and a holstered gun at his hip. He took off his visored cap and the sun shone on a strong face like carved rock, on thick black hair. The man had the physique of a bull, with massive shoulders, a thick chest, a booming voice. His eyes squinted into the interior shadows of the bam, lifted to consider the placid cow in its stall, then touched the ladder to the hayloft. Adam felt his heart lurch as Medjan’s glance swept upward. Too late now to draw farther back into the loose hay. The movement would be seen. He had to count on the shadows to hide him, more than anything else.
The security man’s glance swept on, dropped back to the slim figure of the girl who managed to convey an air of defiance as she faced him in the doorway.
“We missed you in Viajec this past night.”
“No one among the peasants was ill. I had no duties, and my father needed me.”
“Of course, of course, Lissa. Perhaps I should have said it was I who missed you.”
“Let us not talk about it. I am tired. I had little sleep.” “You never want to talk about it, Lissa. What is the matter? You know how I feel. I will not crawl or act the lover-dandy for you. I have been kind to you, have I not? Your family lives in peace here. Can I do more? Do I not make myself plain?”
“Please, Petar Medjan—”
“Come here, Lissa.”
“I must go back,” the girl said coldly.
“Come here!”
Without warning, his arm shot out and caught the girl and pulled her to him. She did not resist when he tangled thick fingers in her hair and yanked her
The sunlight was blinding. The cold, mountain air helped, and he sucked in a great, rasping lungful. The old couple stood staring at him, and Jamak started forward to help, but Lissa waved him back. Slowly, laboriously, Adam moved around the hut toward a stone barn in the rear.
The barn was not much larger than the hut, but he was happy to get out of the cutting wind as the girl guided him through the doorway. A cow stood in a stall and turned her head to stare at them with great, limpid eyes. There was a tiny hayloft, and a ladder going up, and Adam paused and looked at it and shook his head in dismay.
“I can’t make it.”
“You must,” the girl insisted. “Try.”
“My leg—”
“Medjan will shoot you on the spot, if you are found here. And perhaps all of us, as well. So get up there.”
Adam drew a deep breath and reached for the rungs of the crude ladder. By using the strength of his arms and shoulders, he hauled himself up step by step until he was able to roll over onto the edge of the wooden platform. He was drenched with sweat from the effort. The girl looked up at him anxiously.
“Cover yourself with straw, quickly. And make no sound!”
He nodded, unable to speak for the moment, and rolled away from the edge of the hayloft and lay, gasping, with the rafters of the barn roof only two feet overhead on the low platform.
They had been none too soon. Booted steps crunched on the gravel outside. He heard the girl turn swiftly to leave the bam, but it was too late. A man’s harsh voice rang out, echoing.
“Lissa? Are you there?”
The girl paused. Then Adam could see her as she moved out into the sunlight that spilled through the bam door. “I am here, Petar Medjan.”
“Ah, yes. I have just seen Jamak. He looks remarkably well, for a man who was as sick as you said.”
“The medicine works miracles,” Lissa said quietly.
“Miracles, indeed!” The man laughed thickly. “Well, I am happy to have been able to help, you see. You look well, Lissa.”
“I am well,” the girl said.
The man loomed suddenly in sight when Lissa moved again as if to leave the barn. He blocked the entrance like a heavy shadow, thick arms out-thrust to lean on the doorpost. His booted legs straddled the earth in a posture of absolute authority.
He was uniformed in the blue of the Internal Security Police, with polished boots and a holstered gun at his hip. He took off his visored cap and the sun shone on a strong face like carved rock, on thick black hair. The man had the physique of a bull, with massive shoulders, a thick chest, a booming voice. His eyes squinted into the interior shadows of the bam, lifted to consider the placid cow in its stall, then touched the ladder to the hayloft. Adam felt his heart lurch as Medjan’s glance swept upward. Too late now to draw farther back into the loose hay. The movement would be seen. He had to count on the shadows to hide him, more than anything else.
The security man’s glance swept on, dropped back to the slim figure of the girl who managed to convey an air of defiance as she faced him in the doorway.
“We missed you in Viajec this past night.”
“No one among the peasants was ill. I had no duties, and my father needed me.”
“Of course, of course, Lissa. Perhaps I should have said it was I who missed you.”
“Let us not talk about it. I am tired. I had little sleep.” “You never want to talk about it, Lissa. What is the matter? You know how I feel. I will not crawl or act the lover-dandy for you. I have been kind to you, have I not? Your family lives in peace here. Can I do more? Do I not make myself plain?”
“Please, Petar Medjan—”
“Come here, Lissa.”
“I must go back,” the girl said coldly.
“Come here!”
Without warning, his arm shot out and caught the girl and pulled her to him. She did not resist when he tangled thick fingers in her hair and yanked her
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